Carnegie Library’s Apple redevelopment, revealed

Apple is known for its sleek phones and tablets, but soon it may be known for engaging communities with free, public programs, such as concerts, art exhibitions, and workshops. For Washington, D.C., The Washington Post reported that Apple plans on restoring the 1903-constructed building, Carnegie Library, for this very purpose.

The Carnegie Library was the first desegregated public building in the city. Here, Apple plans on taking reading rooms and creating areas for browsing Apple products, while also creating a “Genius Grove,” a tree-lined sales floor with a skylight overtop.

Other examples of Apple taking historic buildings rooted in their communities include the opening of Apple stores in New York’s Grand Central Terminal and a 130-year-old former bank in Paris, as reported by The Washington Post.

There was one previous plan for redeveloping Carnegie Library that ended up not moving forward. The International Spy Museum’s proposed moving into the library and doubling the size. Instead, the museum is moving into L’Enfant Plaza.

Currently, the Carnegie Library is used as office space for the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. It is also used by Events DC, the manager of the building, as an events venue. When Apple finishes restoring the building, it hopes to keep Historical Society of Washington, D.C. in the building on the second floor.

• Apple offers first peek at plans to convert D.C.’s Carnegie Library into new store [The Washington Post]